Branded Page 7

  “They have a night person who comes on duty about eight. Up until then, I think it’s just cameras. Usually, there are plenty of people and janitorial staff around.”

  “Who did you see that night? I guess it doesn’t matter because they have video footage, but did you come across anyone who could testify against you, or who could testify there was someone else in that area?”

  Her heart sank. “I didn’t see anyone. It was strangely quiet to be honest.”

  “Maybe we can find out who was on staff.”

  “There has to be someone who saw something.” A chilling thought raised the goose bumps on her arms. “Do you think this person specifically targeted me, or was I unlucky enough that he chose my computer and even unluckier that I went back into the building after hours?”

  Xander narrowed his eyes. “Good question.”

  “And what if I’d run into him while he was at my computer?” Emotion raised her voice a bit. “Would he have made some excuse and not stolen the money, or would he have…” She couldn’t say it.

  Xander cleared his throat. “You can’t think about that.”

  “But what if?”

  He shook his head. “There are many white collar criminals who think nothing about heisting millions, but they would never physically harm someone.”

  “Unless desperation drove them to it.”

  He folded her hand in his and squeezed. “You’re going to drive yourself insane if you get caught up in what-ifs. Let’s stay focused on the facts at hand.”

  She blew out a shuddering breath. “I’ve been so caught up with the whole police questioning thing that I hadn’t considered what might have actually taken place that night. But you’re right. No sense worrying about what didn’t happen.”

  He pulled into a parking space not far from her building. “Is this your house?”

  “Yes. I’m surprised you found it so easily.” She’d only given him her address and had then become distracted by her thoughts and hadn’t realized they’d arrived.

  He shrugged. “I used to work not too far from here. I know the streets pretty well. Let me get your door,” he said as he exited, the rain still spitting from the sky.

  He opened her door, letting Stormy out and extended a hand to her. She stepped into the drizzling weather. Her dog lowered her ears as the water pelted her, and she ran for the covered entrance to her building.

  “Let’s make a run for it. I don’t want you getting too wet.” He held her hand as they dashed across the sidewalk. The feel of his hand around hers comforted her and excited her at the same time.

  They stopped under the awning shading her doorstep, both breathing a little heavier from their sprint. She tilted her head up to his and laughed. Sprinkles of rain covered his hair and cheeks.

  He grinned and wiped a droplet from her nose.

  “You didn’t have to walk me to my door in this weather.”

  “I wanted to.” Attraction glimmered in his eyes.

  “I’m not going to invite you up, you know.”

  His smile grew wider. “I figured you’d say that, but a guy can hope.”

  There was something about this man she really adored. “I’ll see you in the morning?”

  “About ten?”

  “Ten, it is.” Compelling currents of attraction raced through her, and she wished she dared to invite him to spend the night with her. But she didn’t want him to get the wrong impression and think that was something she did often. “Thank you for a wonderful evening.” She slid her arms around his neck, moving in for a hug, but he kept his eyes pinned to hers, and she found herself drawn to his face. She moved closer, and the next thing she knew, she’d placed her lips on his.

  Dangerous longing slammed into her, and she couldn’t resist sliding her lips over his and deepening their kiss. He responded by crushing her against him. Her tongue found his, and she slipped her fingers into his rain-soaked hair.

  Far too quickly, he pulled back, ending their kiss. A sigh of satisfaction escaped her before she could stop it.

  She met his darkened gaze with wide eyes. Had the intensity of their kiss surprised him as well? She shook off the awkwardness with a small laugh. “With that, I think I’ll say good night.”

  He studied her with an unreadable expression, and she quickly turned, removing her keys from her purse and unlocking the front door. She let Stormy into the main foyer, but commanded her to stay before she dashed up the stairs alone to their apartment. One of her neighbors always freaked out if he saw Stormy without her leash. If her neighbor and her dog came face to face without Nicole present, who knew what might happen.

  She turned to Xander, still unable to decipher his thoughts from viewing his expression. “See you in the morning.”

  “Sweet dreams, Nicole.” A hint of a pleased smile curved his lips before he turned and sprinted back through the rain to his car.

  She stayed where she was, watching his form disappear into the misty rain, waiting until his brake lights flared in the night. The sound of his powerful engine rumbled into the darkness, and she put a hand against her wildly beating heart.

  Dear Lord, what had she gotten herself into?

  * * *

  At a red light, Xander punched in Sam’s cell phone number and switched it to speaker phone. It rang a couple of times, and Sam answered as the light turned green.

  “Hey bud,” he greeted his friend. “I just dropped off Nicole after spending the evening with her.”

  “Really? And when you say you spent the evening with her, do you mean…”

  “Not sex.” Although they had shared one hell of a kiss. The continuing bulge in his jeans was proof of how much she’d turned him on. But he and Sam wouldn’t be discussing any of that. “We only talked.”

  “That’s too bad. She’s pretty fine.”

  “Hell, Sam. Is that what you do with all of your suspects? Bed them and extract information through pillow talk?”

  Sam chuckled. “I’ve never been lucky enough to land someone who looked like her. Hunter always sends me the ugly losers, not the sweet-looking thieves. In fact, I’m surprised he didn’t keep her for himself.”

  Xander cracked his window to allow some of the rain-soaked air to come in and cool him. “Can we forget her body and get back to business?” It irritated him that Sam seemed focused only on her looks. He agreed Nicole was a looker, but Sam didn’t need to discuss her as though she was a street corner hooker.

  “Sorry, man. It’s just that it’s not often I get to deal with someone so pretty. As a cop or in Hunter’s escapades.”

  “I’m sure there are plenty of beautiful women who come into the police station.”

  “Not many. Some that might have been pretty before they got into drugs maybe, but not most of them.”

  Xander shook his head to clear it as he crossed a bridge. “Anyway,” he said, trying to redirect Sam’s focus. “A couple of things came up during our conversation. Were you able to locate any actual witnesses that placed her at the scene of the crime? And she’s wondering why the video didn’t pick up the real thief.”

  “Because she’s the thief.”

  “I know that.” Why were he and his friend having such a hard time communicating tonight? “I’m wondering if there were any actual eyewitnesses who placed her at the scene of the crime. Someone who could testify against her, back up what the video shows.”

  “Not that we’ve come across.” Sam sighed, sounding like he’d had too many long days. “There are hundreds of people who work in that building. We haven’t had time to interview them all, and we have to wait until Monday, until they return to their positions to finish.” He paused for a second. “Besides, she admitted she was there when I questioned her. She’s hasn’t changed her story, has she?”

  “No. What did she say when you questioned her?”

  “All she said was that she’d gone back for her TriMet pass, but I didn’t get an exact time out of her.”

  “Still, I’d feel bett
er if we have an actual eyewitness when this thing goes to trial. She’s an extremely smooth operator, and I don’t want her getting off on some technicality. If I didn’t know better, I’d believe every word she says, and a jury might, too.”

  “Good point. I’ll ask for an update from the officers who’ve been interviewing. See if we have anything solid yet.”

  “Another thing. When I asked her how she got her job, she mentioned that a head-hunter company had contacted her. She seemed pretty vague, like she wasn’t quite sure. It raised some red flags with me. Can you check with the company and see how she got hired on?”

  “Sure thing. Did you get any info on her father?”

  “No. That’s another thing. I tried to get her to talk about her parents, and she totally shut me down. Like I said, she’s smooth. But there are a couple of cracks in her veneer, and I think if I keep prodding them, something is bound to break. Especially, if I can get that information from you.”

  “Okay. I’ll be in touch.”

  Xander tossed his phone onto the passenger seat after Sam signed off. As annoyed as he’d been with Sam, he respected and trusted his friend beyond measure. The five of them had an interesting relationship, and at the base of it all was trust. It had to be. Some would accuse them of wrongdoing. Sam would suffer the most if their activities were ever discovered. Leaking confidential police information was not something his buddy did lightly. But Sam, along with the rest of them, had had an incident in his life where the police had been bound by certain restrictions and had failed to provide justice. At that point, they’d realized it was more important that justice be served, and if they had to cross legal lines to keep things fair, they’d do it.

  In the end, families were protected, and the guilty paid their dues. That’s what everyone wanted, and that had become the cause that joined the five of them together.

  He doubted there was anything that could jeopardize that bond.

  Chapter Eight

  For whatever reason, Nicole took extra care getting ready the next morning. Maybe it was for Xander. Maybe it was because she had possible jail time in her future, and she’d begun to appreciate every freedom she had. She’d been tempted to hide behind a ball cap and sunglasses, but it was still overcast outside, and damn it, she was innocent. Having Xander by her side would give her the strength to face the public.

  She donned her super soft, grass green sweater and jeans, opting for her heeled boots over more comfortable shoes because they made her legs look longer. She spritzed on her favorite perfume and glanced in the mirror. Her bangs had grown much too long. She slid a finger across her brow, pushing them to the side, but they quickly slipped back into her eyes. She groaned, wishing she wouldn’t have postponed her hair appointment. Who knew how her stylist would greet her now that she’d achieved infamy? She snipped at them with a pair of scissors, making them seem more manageable.

  The buzzer at her front door rang, and she ran to answer the call button, Stormy chasing at her feet. “Hello?”

  “Nicole?” Xander’s deep voice came through her small box, giving her a thrill. Stormy whined, either recognizing Xander’s voice or sensing Nicole’s excitement.

  “Hi Xander. I’ll be right down.”

  She shrugged into her leather coat, and Stormy raced for the door, more than ready to leave. “I’m sorry, baby. You can’t come today.” She headed into the kitchen and grabbed two dog biscuits from the container on the counter. Stormy knew the routine. If Nicole went for the biscuits instead of her leash, she did not get to go. Her pup sat next to the front door, doing an excellent job of guilting her with her big brown eyes.

  Nicole tossed the treats to the side, and Stormy quickly abandoned her guilt trip in favor of the biscuits. “I’ll be back soon.”

  When she arrived downstairs, she found Xander waiting outside the main entrance. She took a quick moment to appreciate him before he noticed her. Tall, dark hair, the perfect gentleman. He wore his leather jacket again, and although he looked pretty damned attractive, she kind of missed the trench coat and tie. At first glance, he seemed to be a prince. Only time would tell. All she knew was right now, he was the only bright spot in her future. She wished she could feel confident that she would have a future.

  She pushed open the door, catching his attention.

  His eyes flashed with appreciation as he gave her the once over, leaving her cheeks and insides heated. “Good morning.”

  “Hi.” She tried to temper her attraction and protect herself, but her heart pushed right through that barrier and sent a smile straight to her lips.

  He held out a hand, and she took it. He pulled her close, wrapping her in his embrace. The scent of his earthy cologne surrounded her, tickling her senses. “You smell wonderful.” His deep voice vibrated against her ear, giving her chills.

  “I was going to say the same thing.”

  He placed a quick kiss on her lips before releasing her. “Let’s get going. We have a puppy to find.”

  Nicole directed him to the pet shop. She did feel a twinge of fear that someone might single her out as they pushed through the store’s doors, but no one glanced in their direction as they made their way past shelves of cat toys and dog leashes. She led him to the row of cages alongside a wall. A young girl employee with blond braids greeted them with a smile as several dogs yapped their excitement. Another couple with a young girl held a squirming white poodle.

  “No poodles,” Xander whispered in her ear. “Or little yappers.”

  Nicole smiled. “We’ll look until you fall in love.”

  He gave her a quizzical look.

  “With a dog.” She rolled her eyes even as a delicious tingle rolled through her.

  “Let me know if you want me to get one out of the kennel for you,” the young girl offered.

  “Okay,” Xander replied as he squatted down in front of one dog. “This one is cute.” He held his fingers against the edge of the cage, letting the half-grown German Shepherd sniff him. The dog growled and backed away.

  The employee walked over to them. “Sorry. She’s not super fond of guys.”

  “Dogs discriminate?” He raised his brows, giving the girl an incredulous look.

  “We think maybe there was a man who was mean to her in the past.”

  “That’s terrible.” Xander nodded to the dog and backed away. “But I totally understand and won’t hold it against you,” he said to the puppy.

  “Most of our dogs come from the animal shelter, and not all of them have always been treated well. We do our best to help them find good homes.”

  “That’s admirable.”

  Nicole glanced over the rest of the available choices, not seeing anything remotely close to what Xander had in mind. “Any Australian Shepherds or Border Collies?”

  The girl squinted as though she was digging deep in her memory. “We had a cute multi-colored Border Collie in here last week. I don’t think anyone adopted him. They may have sent him to our Gresham store this week. The shelter rotates them in hopes of getting them in front of more potential owners. If you like, I could call that store and ask.”

  Xander nodded. “That would be great.”

  When the girl had walked away, Nicole turned to Xander. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? I feel like I talked you into it last night, and I really don’t want to influence you. Dogs are a big responsibility.”

  Merriment sparkled in his eyes. “Are you having second thoughts for me?”

  “Maybe.” Although there was no reason for her to be responsible for his choices. “I guess I am.”

  “I’m a grown man, Nicole. I don’t take any of my commitments lightly.” He captured her gaze, and the now-familiar attraction sparked between them. “I told you, I’ve been considering adopting a dog for a while. Seeing you with Stormy cemented it for me.” Then he blinked and shifted his focus to the orphaned pets in front of him, leaving her to wonder if she made him nervous. It was all a little strange. One second he was flirting wi
th her, the next he sort of shut down.

  The girl returned, a bright smile on her face. “Apollo is still available. They do have him at the Gresham store, if you don’t mind driving farther.”

  “Gresham’s not that far.” He looked to Nicole. “I have time if you do.”

  She shrugged. “You know me. I have no particular place to go and all the time to get there.”

  He gave her an admonishing glance before he turned. “We’ll go check him out.”

  “Good luck,” the girl said as they left.

  “You know you’re going to need to buy a lot of stuff, too,” Nicole said as he opened the passenger door for her. “A leash, dog food. They have to have regular check-ups.”

  “Stop trying to talk me out of it, already. I’m getting a dog.”

  He opened his door and climbed in. “I’m getting a dog.” This time he said it with a touch of wonderment. He slid a sideways glance at her and gave her a determined look. “I’m getting a dog.”

  * * *

  The trip to Gresham took them a good thirty minutes, but Xander didn’t mind. Nicole was a captive audience when she was trapped in his car, and it gave him a good chance to question her further. “Is Stormy your first dog?”

  She shook her head. “My aunt had a Yorkie when I started living with her. Buster and I became fast friends. She used to curl up in bed with me.

  “She had a girl Yorkie named Buster?”

  She shrugged. “When you meet my aunt, you’ll understand. She’s always been one to go against the grain, especially for a laugh.”

  “I see.” Except he had no intention of meeting her family unless it was to extract further information about Nicole.

  “In the beginning, I worried she would get mad because Buster seemed to like me better, and Buster was her dog.”

  “But she didn’t?” Xander prompted.

  “No.” She gave a soft snort. “She said Buster could sense I was a wounded soul, and it was her job to fix me.”

  He caught her gaze for a quick second.

  “I think she was right. After my aunt had her accident, Buster never left her side.”